Nottingham Forest embarked on their pre-season tour of Spain without forward Taiwo Awoniyi, who is currently sidelined with a muscle injury.

Awoniyi was absent from Forest’s 3-0 victory over Chesterfield in a pre-season match at the SMH Group Stadium last Saturday due to his injury.

Despite reports suggesting his exclusion from the trip was for personal reasons, the primary concern remains his fitness.

During their stay in Spain, Forest has scheduled three friendlies at the Pinatar Arena, where they will compete against Sunderland, Millwall, and Elche.

Additionally, their pre-season itinerary includes a match against Villarreal at the City Ground and a game against Olympiacos in Greece.

The 26-year-old Nigeria international endured a challenging, injury-plagued season last year, missing over 30 matches.

Despite these setbacks, Awoniyi managed to score six goals, helping Nottingham Forest narrowly avoid relegation.

Since joining the club, he has netted 17 goals in 50 appearances.

Taiwo Awoniyi celebrates scoring.  (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

Nuno Espirito Santos’ squad will kick off the new season with a home fixture against Bournemouth on August 17.